Disclosure
by LoveShinobi-Angelv
Summary: Sequel to Captivity. It had been almost fourteen years since he saw her...but will he be able to claim the happiness that he had denied himself for so long?  Akito x Natsumi  Note: An OC story
1. Sighting

**A/n****: SEQUEL to Captivity. So, if you haven't read that yet. Go do it. Other than that, enjoy =) and of course review. **

**Disclosure**

_Chapter One_

-Sighting-

A cloaked figure stood at the edge of the forest, examining the vast expanse of desert before him with a critical red gaze. It had been many years since Uchiha Akito had been here, almost fourteen to be exact. He smirked at the irony, since he was standing in the exact spot he had last seen Natsumi in. He wondered how much she had changed.

The reason for his presence now was because he had been sent to assassinate some official in Suna. He'd joined the Akatsuki shortly after leaving Orochimaru's base and letting Natsumi go. The goals of the organization were different now, and this way he could be his own man and do whatever he wanted outside of the mission he was assigned. He was paid a hefty sum per mission, and was basically left alone for the most part. It was the kind of life any man would want. Any man who wanted to stay alone anyways.

He thought of her often, even found he missed her occasionally. And so, when the opportunity for a mission in Suna had presented itself, he had jumped at the chance to be the one to get it. Shifting under his standard Akatsuki cloak, he sprang into action, travelling across the sandy depths quickly, thoughts of Natsumi filling his head.

When he reached the village later that night, he snuck over both of the walls easily. It was a bit more difficult to get into the village this time, but he managed to bypass the guards and traps successfully. He went to the Kazekage's house and checked it out, but found that she wasn't there. So he closed his eyes and stretched his chakra, trying to sense her chakra signature.

He wasn't going to disrupt her life in any way, he just needed to see her. He wanted to see if he had made the right decision by letting her go, if she was truly happy. All he would do by re-entering her life was ruin it. He knew he wasn't a good person, he wouldn't lie to himself about that, and any sort of affiliation with him couldn't be good for her. It was for her own good that he stayed away.

His eyes snapped open. There she was, not too far away. He leapt off the roof of the Kazekage's mansion, jumping from roof to roof until he reached another large house. Cloaking his chakra so that he wouldn't be detected, he looked around the outside until he found an uncovered window. He waited for a while, his blood boiling in anticipation as he waited for her to come into the room.

He felt his heart stop when she entered the living room of the house. She hadn't changed all that much since he had seen her last. Her hair was about the same length, if not a little shorter, and her face looked the same for the most part, only it had a more womanly look to it. His eyes trailed over her body, and he grew slightly puzzled. He knew that women's bodies changed as they aged, but Natsumi's seemed a bit more…curvy. Not in a bad way, she was still slender, but her curves seemed to have matured a bit, adding a bit more roundness to her hips and breasts. Akito thought it looked nice on her, even made her look more attractive.

Suddenly his entire body tensed when she was joined by a boy. He had short, black hair that hung from his head, and in the front his bangs were long on the sides, and short on the top. His eyes were those of Natsumi's, and his face was young, making him around twelve or so, by Akito's guess. He felt pure anger and hatred fill him.

That stupid bitch had moved on and found somebody else? She didn't even wait a while either, she just got right to it and found someone else to pleasure her. So much for loving him. He guessed it was all just a big lie. One of many that she had convinced him of.

Trying to reign in his rage, he left the bushes that he had been hiding in, heading towards the official's house to kill him. Once he was done with his mission, he was going to leave this desolate village, and never come back.

* * *

><p>Natsumi turned her gaze from the boy in front of her and looked out the nearby window. She could have sworn that she felt something just a moment ago. A spike in chakra, almost seeming angry. She grimaced, but before she could walk over to the window she was jumbled out of her thoughts with a shake.<p>

She blinked and looked down, seeing her son pulling on her arm. "Mom, are you ok?"

Her eyes widened slightly when she saw the worry on his face. She tried to smile and placed her hand on his head, running her fingers through his windblown hair. "Yes Kanamé, I'm fine. I just thought I heard something is all."

He watched her face and frowned. He could feel her mood shift and knew she only got this way late at night, when she cried. He sighed and nodded, trying to reassure her in his belief. "Ok. Well, what's for dinner?"

"I made some sushi and Unagi. Why don't you go get it and bring it out here while I set the table." She said, finally smiling.

Kanamé nodded and headed into the kitchen as Natsumi walked towards the window and glanced outside, searching for any sign of movement. Well, at least she couldn't sense anything, and her alarm was slowly dying down. After drawing the curtains, she set the table for two and finished just as Kanamé had brought out both plates. They sat down and began to eat, a comfortable silence between them as there always was.

"So how was your day today sweetheart? Did you have fun with your cousin?" Natsumi asked, sticking a piece of unagi in her mouth.

The young boy just scoffed, looking annoyed, and Natsumi had to try not to react to the expression she had seen so many times on his father's face. "Boring. Ami is so annoying. I spent most my time training with Uncle Toshiro. But she was trying to learn how to control sand and threw a fit when she couldn't do it. I just told her that she didn't have good enough skills to inherit real power like I did."

Natsumi went wide eyed and looked at her son from across the table. "Kanamé that's mean, she's your cousin and you know that she gets upset because she didn't inherit sand control." She grabbed a sushi roll and popped it in her mouth. "I want you to go over there tomorrow and apologize. You can't be mean like that, you know better." She scolded, sounding motherly.

Kanamé just huffed. "She was asking for it, it's not my fault." The pink haired woman shook her head and sighed.

"Sometimes…you act just like your father. You have to take other people's feelings into consideration, not just your own."

Kanamé nodded, seeming sad. "I'm sorry…you're right…I'll apologize tomorrow. I don't know…I just got angry I guess."

Natsumi smiled at her son and reached across the table, patting his hand. "I know. She's definitely got a lot of Uzumaki in her, but we're family, and that's all we have left."

He smiled, looking just like his mother in that moment. "Yeah, cause it's just you and me. So don't worry mom, I'll make sure to become strong so that when you can no longer fight, I can protect you."

They both beamed and continued to eat, telling one another about their day and the plans for the week to come. Kakashi was going to be coming to visit for a while to teach him some more techniques with lightning and other ninjutsu. Once they finished eating, they cleaned up and washed the dishes together.

"Now you better head off to bed. Your grandfather wants to train with you tomorrow and make sure that you're excelling in all types of fields." Natsumi told him as they shut off the lights and headed upstairs to go to bed.

"Yes ma'am. I got it." He nodded and hugged her before heading off to his own room. "Night mom! Sleep well ok, you deserve it."

Natsumi smiled and nodded, flipping off the hall light as she went into her own bedroom and looked around. She left the light off and went to her closet, undressing and pulling on some shorts and a t-shirt to sleep in. Once her evening routine and clean was finished, she climbed into her large bed and snuggled into the sheets. She reached beneath her pillow and took out a worn card and stared at the face of her child's father.

She held onto it tightly, examining Akito's features on the ninja info card she had managed to save from her stay in the compound with him. Other than the unknown gift he had given her, it was the only thing she had of him. She closed her eyes and sighed. Kanamé looked so much like him, and some of their traits were uncannily similar, it almost hurt to be around him. Of course, she would never allow her son to know that, she wanted him to feel loved. And she did love him, more than anything else in the world.

With a mournful sigh, she closed her eyes and drifted off to sleep. Unaware of what awaited her the next day.


	2. Encounter

**Disclosure**

_Chapter Two _

-Encounter-

"Last night," Gaara began, lacing his fingers together as he rest both elbows on his desk and leaned forward. "One of the head Suna officials was murdered."

Toshiro and Natsumi both went wide eyed, shock apparent on their similar features. "You're kidding." Toshiro breathed out. Both were dressed in their jounin vests, of course both of them were higher than that level in their skills but ever since they'd had children, they had stepped down from Anbu to be with their families.

"Unfortunately not. Last night someone broke through the village walls and managed to make it in all the way to the official's house, and slit his throat while he slept, disappearing without a trace. We're dealing with a _very_ skilled ninja in the art of stealth." The elder redhead explained to his children. They both nodded and looked at one another, but there was a wrenching in Natsumi's stomach. Had the night before, when she felt that presence, been the intruder? Raw panic washed over her, had someone dangerous been _that_ close to her baby?

"What do you want us to do?" Natsumi asked tersely, meeting her father's gaze.

Gaara sighed and leaned back in his chair, shifting his gaze between them. "I want you to go to the official's house and track this assassin down. Then kill him. No one gets away with murder in my village, and you two are the best for the job."

Both siblings sighed and nodded. This wouldn't be a quick mission, tracking never was, which meant that they would have to be away from their families for awhile. "Ok. Dad, I'll need you to watch over Kanamé while I am gone."

"Of course." Gaara said, shooing them away. "Now get to it…and be safe." He said softly, looking a bit worried. He was very confident in his children and their abilities, but ever since Natsumi's kidnap all those years ago he had always been wary of sending either of them out.

Natsumi and Toshiro turned to leave then, and once they were in the hall they sighed. "I'll go and pack a few things and change and meet you at your house in about ten minutes. Kanamé should be over there so I can tell him I will be leaving."

"Yeah, sounds like a plan." Toshiro said, waving her farewell as they both disappeared in their sand. Natsumi appeared in her living room and hurried up the steps, unzipping her vest and tossing it aside. She changed from her normal attire into a pair of black shorts and a tight, black long sleeved shirt. The sleeves stopped just below her elbows and the shirt was short enough to reveal her smooth, flat stomach. After securing her weapons and stuffing a change of clothes in her knapsack, she disappeared once more, and when she reformed she was in front of her brother's house.

She walked in, not bothering to knock since she didn't need to. There was screaming and crying coming from the back. Natsumi rushed forward, running into the kitchen and seeing her son and her niece trying to kill each other with words. "What's going on!" she demanded over the screaming infant in his sister-in-law's arms.

Minako looked up from the squabble, her beautiful cerulean eyes glistening with tears from trying to stop the fight. Her long, ebony hair was braided back, and out of the auburn haired little girl in her arm's reach. "Natsumi-chan!"

"You don't understand what it's like!" the younger girl yelled, her dark brownish red hair falling in her face. "You don't know what it's like to have your dad out there in danger! You've never had to feel it!"

"Ami!" Minako gasped.

Kanamé went wide eyed and the sand around him reacted with his rage and misery from the words. "Stop being a baby you ungrateful brat!" he shouted back, his sand spiraling around erratically and then surging towards the girl. Natsumi's eyes widened and her hand shot out, stopping the sand in its place before it could wrap around the girl.

"What is going on?" she demanded, silencing all the other noise.

Ami pointed accusingly at Kaname. "He yelled at me when I got mad because my daddy has to leave! But he doesn't understand what it's like! His dad is _always_ gone!"

Kanamé glared at her, so fiercely it could only be compared to his grandfather's. "My mom has to leave too! And she's all I have!"

"So! Just because your dad was never there for you doesn't mean you should get mad at everyone who has one!" the auburn haired girl yelled.

Minako stood from her seat and gave her daughter a stern look. "Sabaku no Ami, you stop that right now!" she ordered, adjusting the crying baby in her arms. "Now go upstairs and say goodbye to your father before he has to leave, and after he leaves, you and I are going to sort out your punishment."

"But mom-" the little girl whined.

"No buts." The ebony haired woman shook her head. "Now march right upstairs young lady." She pointed out of the room. Ami frowned, and with one final glare at her elder cousin, she left the kitchen. Minako watched her daughter leave and then looked at her best friend. "I'm so sorry Natsumi-chan." She apologized, gently bouncing her baby to get her to calm down.

Natsumi sighed and looked down at her son. "Kaname, I want you to go home and pack a few things, you're going to be staying with grandma and grandpa while I'm gone."

"Good." He said sharply, walking past her and out of the room. "If I had to stay here I can't be held responsible for that stupid Ami."

The pink haired woman groaned into her hands and shook her head, trying to relax. "Why can't they just get along?"

"Your guess is as good as mine." Minako said, walking over to her friend and placing her free hand on the other woman's shoulder. "Maybe things will get better once they're older."

"Yeah, we can only hope." She frowned and then glanced back to see her brother entering the kitchen.

"Ami being a brat as usual?" he asked, plucking his younger daughter, Ayame, from Minako's arms and smiling at her.

Minako nodded. "They were arguing about Kanamé not having a father again." She explained, smiling slightly as she watched Toshiro interact with their baby. "I told her she would be punished later."

"Good, she's getting too annoying and bold with that talk and it's starting to wear." He sighed and kissed Ayame's cheek, making her giggle. "Not like my sweet little Ayame. You're a sweet little angel."

Natsumi laughed and got beside her brother, admiring their youngest. She was so adorable and much nicer than Ami was at this age. Ayame smiled brightly and held her hands out for her aunt, who took her and snuggled lovingly with her. "I'll miss you little one, I can't wait to come back and see you."

"You both better come back." Minako said. She had the utmost confidence in the both of them, it wasn't that, but the life of a shinobi was a hard one, and no matter how strong the ninja, there were still risks.

"Don't worry sweetheart." Toshiro smiled, kissing his wife on the cheek. "You know when Natsumi and I are together, no one can beat us. We'll be back as soon as we can."

She smiled and wrapped her arms around his waist, hugging him. "I know, but I still worry." She kissed him before letting him go. She looked at Natsumi. "And don't worry Natsumi-chan, I will have Ami apologize to Kanamé for what she said."

Natsumi shook her head and handed Ayame back to her mother. "I would rather her not. I don't want those two close to one another without us here. Sand is dangerous and dad is busy so I don't want to risk them getting into another fight and Kanamé accidently hurting her. Best they just stay away from one another." She looked over at her brother and gave him a nod, "You ready to go?"

"Yup." He nodded and waved to Minako before heading towards the door with Natsumi close behind. "See you when we get back hun."

"Bye! Come back soon!" Minako waved to them, watching them leave.

Toshiro and Natsumi headed out then and made their way to the official's massive house. They entered, seeing a few jounin and Anbu scoping out the house. The two went upstairs and to the bedroom, taking in the crimson sight. Natsumi grimaced and walked around the stained carpet, examining the body that still lay lifelessly on the bed.

"Disgusting." Toshiro said, walking over to the other side.

"Yeah…" she nodded, letting her sand spill out from the gourd on her back and settle on the ground. She closed her eyes and concentrated on feeling the variations of the carpet and the footsteps. After the discovery, everyone had been ordered not to enter the room. "Found them." She said, following them back to the broken window and looking out. "Ok, I've got the trail. So let's go."

They took off out the window, following the trail of sand that was connecting to the slight prints this killer had left behind. It wasn't much longer till they reached the wall and headed over it, disappearing into the desert.

* * *

><p>Natsumi looked around the trees, bounding off the branches with Toshiro right behind her. "It's getting harder to track these in the forest and they are beginning to fade."<p>

"That's ok, I just sensed someone." He said, closing his eyes and focusing, sending his sand forward. "Alright. I've got my sand on him, just a few grains, but he's fast. So go after him, I'll be right after you."

"Got it." She took off, disappearing in the blink of an eye. She sped through the trees, not hesitating when she locked onto the chakra signature. She sped forward and jumped from the trees, her sand moving with her as it slammed the perpetrator to the ground and onto his back. "Finally found you!" she smirked, landing on the ground and looking over at him. He groaned and sat up quickly, the shock knocking the wind from her. "A-Akito?"

Familiar crimson eyes looked over at her as he stood. "Natsumi." He said, dusting off his cloak.

"I don't understand." She frowned. "Why? What were you doing…What's going on? You were in Suna?"

"Yes. It was my job to kill that official."

She ignored his words, her own mission tossed aside. "You didn't even come to see me…or did you?"

His eyes narrowed at her words. "Of course I came to see you. Why else would I have accepted the job in Suna? But I saw you with that boy." He seethed. "I saw how easy it was for you to move on. And so I did my job and left."

Natsumi looked confused and then frowned. "You saw Kaname? But then why wouldn't want to come and meet him?"

"Why would I want to meet a child that you had with someone else?" he asked, completely appalled. "Are you really that selfish?"

"What are you talking about, he's yo-"

"I don't want to hear your pathetic excuses Natsumi. Perhaps it is for the best that we split up all those years ago, it saved me a lot of problems." He looked next to her as Toshiro arrived.

Rage filled her and her gaze turned into a sharp glare. Toshiro examined the two, a bit surprised his sister was not already trying to kill this man. But that was when he got a good look at their opponent. "Hey, I know you." He pointed.

Natsumi shot forward and aimed a kick at Akito's head, only having him narrowly avoid it. "You jerk! I knew you were just done with me! I can't believe I let myself love you! You selfish piece of work!"

He flipped out of the way, glaring at her. "Please. If you loved me then you wouldn't have found someone else to warm your bed. And to help you understand my pain, I am going to kill the one thing you love most. Your precious little boy." He sneered.

"If you so much as touch him, I turn you inside out with my own bare hands." She said darkly, her aura turning menacing. She didn't care if this was Kaname's father. Akito obviously wasn't willing to listen and no one got away with threatening her son. Not even him. She disappeared, his sharingan searching around for any movement. She appeared behind him and aimed a glowing green hand at his heart from behind.

Reacting purely on instinct, he managed to substitute his body with a log in the nick of time, reappearing behind her. "Save your threats for someone who will actually be scared of them."

"Oh you'll be scared of them." She twisted her fingers around and sand shot up from beneath him, trapping him on the ground. Toshiro appeared next to him and pulled back his fist, slamming it right into Akito's jaw, breaking him from the iron grains, shattering his jaw, and sending him off into a tree. The impact cracked through the bark and caused the tree to collapse over him.

Akito stood with a bit of difficulty, shaking a bit to get the dirt off of him. He glared at both of them, knowing that the odds weren't in his favor with both of the siblings as his enemies. With Natsumi he would be fine and easily able to hold his own, but with both it would be a lot more difficult. "I'll give your son my regards." He said. Then he quickly made a few hand signs and got low on the ground, spinning in a circle as flames shot out from his foot in a large circle. Natsumi was forced to step back a bit, and both siblings shielded their eyes from the blinding light. When it cleared, Akito was gone.

Natsumi searched around for him and they both tried to feel around for him. "We need to go." She said, taking off with Toshiro close behind, since neither of them could find him. The redhead caught up to his sister and grimaced.

"Is that…?"

"Yes." She replied sharply, closing her eyes tightly, trying not to cry. "He's Kanamé's father."


	3. Mirrored

**Disclosure**

_Chapter Three_

-Mirrored-

"And that, Kanamé, is why grandpa always wins." Gaara smirked, leaning back in his chair as the young, dark haired boy sat on the Kazekage's desk. Kanamé just smiled back, picking up a few pencils and twirling them around his fingers.

"Grandpa." He sighed, getting the elder's attention. "How come mom has been so paranoid lately? I mean, she won't let me do anything she normally does, and she continuously checks the locks and doesn't sleep anymore."

Gaara gave the boy a sympathetic stare and then looked around as if to make sure no one was close by. "Kanamé, your mom…is a very difficult person to understand. You are her world. She just doesn't want anything bad to happen to you. She loves you. We all do." He actually gave him a hint of a smile.

Kanamé nodded and leaned back a bit. "I know. But I'm thirteen…I'm not in the Academy anymore. I want to go on missions and she won't let me anymore…it's just…" he paused searching for the right words. "Suffocating."

"I know, I know." The old Kazekage sat up and pat his grandson's leg. "Tell you what." He smirked, pulling out a scroll. "If you don't tell your mother, I'll give you a mission."

Kanamé jumped up, excitement apparent on his features. "Please grandpa! I want to do something!"

"Alright here you go." He said, handing him the scroll and gesturing for him to leave. "Your great aunt is on patrol along the border. You know the usual spot she takes. I need you to take this to her. But make sure you hurry back, I'll cover for you if your mom comes looking for you."

The dark haired boy shot his fist in the air, taking the scroll and then hugging his grandfather. "Thanks a lot grandpa!" he moved away and then ran out of the room, already prepared to leave. He jumped out, taking off into the streets and heading towards the gates. He was so excited to have something to do, for the past week his mother had been like a dictator. He shook his head, sometimes she was just a little too paranoid.

After talking with the guards along the wall, he headed out into the familiar desert, taking his time playing with the grains as they mixed with his own. It didn't take very long to reach the border, but the sun was already sinking towards the horizon, and the blue sky was fading into a fiery orange.

Finally, he came up to one of the posts, it was a large tower. He went in and took the stairs two at a time until he reached the top, seeing a few Suna jounin and his great aunt. The blonde was looking over the forest, but then turned her deep teal eyes towards the entry way and smirked. "Well if it isn't little Kanamé. How are you boy?" she asked, jumping down from her post and meeting him halfway, ruffling his hair.

He broke away from her grip, smiling up at her. "Just coming to deliver something." He shrugged and handed her the message.

"Thanks punk." Temari laughed, handing the scroll to one of the others. "Come on, I'll walk you down." She pushed him forward and they started back into the steps. "So how are you doing? Having fun being a genin?" she asked.

Kanamé just sighed. "Yeah it's all good. Just been bored and aggravated since my mom won't let me go on missions. She's all worried someone will be after me."

Temari frowned, "How have your eyes been?"

"Good…I got really mad at Ami and they changed, but I played it off like I just popped a blood vessel and it worked. I told them I healed it myself. I don't understand why it's bad though…" he sighed.

"You know why Kanamé." She semi-scolded. "You know that those red eyes are your dad's, and if people knew…well it just wouldn't be good. Simple as that. Your mom is very smart, and you should trust her. So stop being a stinker and get on back to Suna." She snickered, giving his hair another ruffle and kissing the top of his head. "Be safe!" she called as he left.

Kanamé sighed and started back towards his home. Not bothering to run this time, since he wasn't too excited to be back. But he caught sight of something in his peripheral vision, and his light green eyes twisted into crimson red as he scanned the area with his heightened vision. He grimaced and made his way towards the edge of the trees. He could feel something odd, but his curiosity grew and he went into the break in the trees.

He continued in and then stopped. He should go back, what if it was someone who really could hurt him? He knew he was strong for his age, but there were a lot of powerful ninja out there. With a sigh, he turned around and started back towards the desert. It was a stupid idea to come in here anyways. Suddenly he jumped out of the way, dodging a kunai that was aimed for his head.

Kanamé turned around to see who had thrown the projectile. A ways away he saw a man in a black cloak with red clouds on it, who was glaring at him. "You shouldn't have moved out of the way. Now it'll just be painful." The man said.

"Who are you?" the boy demanded, his sand rising defensively around him.

"My name is of no consequence to you." Akito said, a kunai appearing in his hand. "All you need to know is that this is your mother's fault."

"My mother didn't do anything to you!" he snapped, moving his hands as the sand rose and formed into hundreds of tiny senbon. "And I know never to wait for my opponent to strike." He said, sending them forward, he made quick hand signs and then placed his thumb and index finger to his lips shooting out a massive line of fire. The immense heat shot forward and crystallized the sand into glass.

Akito's eyes widened and he quickly moved out of the way, but not before one of the glass senbons could slice across his cheek, making a tiny, shallow cut. His eyes narrowed as he further examined the boy in front of him, then they widened when he saw the red. Moving quickly, he pinned Kanamé to a tree using his forearm, their sharingan finally meeting. "You…are an Uchiha." He said.

Kanamé gasped out, having the wind knocked out of him. "What are you talking about?" he yelled, going wide eyed, his red eyes searching the mirrored ones of his attacker. Though they weren't exactly the same, his were far more intricate.

Akito released the boy in front of him, stepping back a ways, the look on his face one of shock. "You are…my son?"

He shook his head. "That's impossible." But there was something inside him that stirred, telling him it was the truth and it was almost undeniable with those eyes.

"No it isn't. How old are you…thirteen?" Akito asked. "Your mother and I parted ways about fourteen years ago. And nobody but an Uchiha would have the Sharingan."

He nodded, "Yeah…I'm thirteen. I'll be fourteen in about seven months."

"I can't believe she didn't tell me." The elder frowned, looking off. Actually, now that he thought about it, she probably tried to, but he hadn't wanted to listen. He looked back at his son. "What did Natsumi name you?"

"Kanamé."

"I am Uchiha Akito." He said. "Your father."

"Why'd you leave my mom." He glared, mirroring his mother. "What was she not good enough for you? Where have you been that's so damn better than with us?" he yelled, he never realized that he was angry with his father. But he was. He loved his mother and he knew she loved his dad, though he didn't see why. How could you love someone that didn't want to be with you?

Akito frowned. "It's not like I knew you existed or anything. If I did I would have come back."

"Well did you even bother to check?" he crossed his arms. "I'm not stupid. I have eyes and I can see that I look like you but god…" he grimaced then. "No wonder my mom sometimes gets sad and silent when I act more…like _you_. You've destroyed her! How could you stay away for fourteen years! I thought you loved her!" he shouted, his anger peaking. He could actually feel his eyes begin to water. He just couldn't believe this pent up anger, but he understood why. This man…his _father,_ had left his mother and him, and didn't even attempt to visit her.

"I did come to visit. I thought…that she had moved on when I saw you." He admitted. "So I left."

"Fourteen years later? That's a little excessive, don't you think?" he asked, still looking angry.

"You know, I was only eighteen, okay? Happy now?" Akito crossed his arms. "I wanted to go out and live my own life. It wasn't until then that I was anywhere near Suna, and as I said, I didn't know you existed." He sighed. "So, what do you want to do now?"

"Nothing." He glared, turned away from him and walking back to the desert. "I want you to leave me alone. You're pretty good at that after all, so it shouldn't be hard."

"Fine." Akito turned to leave. "Have fun learning how to fully use your Sharingan. There's only so much that Copy Ninja can teach you." He began to walk off then.

"Doesn't matter. Why would I want a trait from you anyways? I don't want to be like you, who would. Unlike you, I'm never going to abandon my mom." He retorted, holding in his sadness. So not only did his dad not want his mother, but he didn't want him either. His mother had given him far too much credit. His father was no one to be proud of.

Akito stopped, seeing that his tactic wasn't working. "I could train you. If you wanted. I mean…I don't mind."

"I don't need your pity if that's what this is." Kanamé said sternly. "And I'd rather you not feel obligated to be with me. It'll only piss me off more." He looked forward still, just a bit longer. He only had to hold a reign on his emotions for a bit longer.

"I want to train you." He turned around then. "Since I couldn't be there while you were growing up…I want to now." He admitted. It was true, he wanted to know his son, see how he grew up. And if he walked away now, he would be no better than his own father. And he hated his father. He didn't want his son to hate him.

With an exasperated sigh, fake, but still convincing he agreed. "Alright. I guess." He turned to face him, playing the part of aloof.

The corner of Akito's mouth tilted up at that. He was so much like Natsumi it was scary. "Do you have to get back to Suna now, or do you wish to start your training?"

"Well, technically, I'm not supposed to be out. My mother has gotten…extremely over protective this past week. Ever since she came back from a tracking mission, she's hardly ever left me alone. She's even made me sleep with her at night, she says it's to keep her company, but I know she doesn't actually go to sleep." He sighed and shrugged. "My grandpa, he's the Kazekage, gave me something to do since I was so bored."

"Hm." He nodded, figuring that it was to protect Kanamé from him, even though now it wasn't necessary. "Well, if you can get away every so often, we can meet up to train. My base isn't too far from here, so it wouldn't be too hard for me to come and see you."

"How would I be able to contact you to tell you when?" he asked, not really understanding how this could work and he actually felt bad about sneaking behind his mom's back.

"Here." Akito bit his thumb and made a few hand signs. There was a small puff of smoke, and then a small brown hawk appeared. "Take Tsukai, one of my summons. Just tell people you found him or whatever, make him your pet. When you can get away, send him to me."

Kanamé gave him a skeptical glance. "Isn't a summons going to take away your chakra as long as it's out? And my mom isn't going to let me have a bird…she's a neat freak."

"It takes minimal chakra, so I'll be fine. Besides, he's house trained, and likes people. I'm sure Natsumi will warm up to him eventually." Akito raised a brow at him. "Unless you have a better idea."

"Not really…I mean I have sand, I could always send you…something…I guess this will work. And maybe if I stay inside for a while to take care of him she'll like the idea…" he nodded and then looked confused. "Is the reason I wasn't allowed to be alone…because you were trying to kill me…?"

Akito sighed. "I…was going to punish your mother by killing you." He held up a hand, keeping Kanamé from saying anything. "I know, it's messed up, but I'm not the most stable person."

"Punish her? For what?" he asked, not really grasping why.

"I thought she had found someone else. And that she didn't love me anymore." He scratched the back of his head, a sign of his embarrassment.

"That's stupid. And selfish."

"Yeah well, selfishness runs in the family." He lowered his arm.

"What did you really expect? Logically, she deserved, after the fourteen years of abandonment to find someone who apparently did love her." He pointed out and then sighed. "Just because I want to spend time with you, doesn't mean I forgive you…yet. Got it?"

"Yes. It is completely understandable." Akito said.

"Good. Well I have to go now. It's almost dark, and my mom will be getting worried." He sighed, glancing off towards the direction of the desert.

Akito followed his son's gaze. "Yeah. She is a worrier." He looked to his son then. "Guess I'll be seeing you." He said, not really sure what to say.

"Uh…yeah I guess." Kanamé frowned, turning away and walking off, disappearing between the trees with Tsukai flying after. Akito watched him leave before turning and heading back towards his hideout.


	4. Evidence

**Disclosure**

_Chapter Four_

-Evidence-

Akito walked into the small living room of the hideout he shared with Kai and sat down in his chair with a sigh. "Dude, you would not believe what I just found out." He said, looking over at his friend, who was watching TV.

"What? That you have homosexual tendencies?"

He glared over at the other man. "No you idiot. I have a son. Who is thirteen."

Kaiyou actually laughed. "Please. That's impossible. The last woman you ever boned was that prissy little…" he trailed off, going wide eyed. "Did you find him in Suna?" he asked, just now remembering where his friend's last mission was located.

"Yes." He said. "I left him one of my summonses, so whenever he can get away we're going to meet up so that I can train him to use his Sharingan."

"You're lying."

"Why would I lie about having a kid?"

Kai shrugged. "Why do you do…_anything_ that you do? I mean…you let the only person you ever loved go and then avoided her for fourteen years. Not my fault you're going crazy from seeing her again."

He glared at him. "I am not going crazy you idiot."

"It's the most sensible explanation for this alleged child." He said simply, muting the television.

"How about the fact that Natsumi and I had sex so many times that I impregnated her and didn't find out about it until today?" he asked.

Kay shrugged. "Whatever you say man."

He rolled his eyes at him. "Whatever. I don't have to argue about this with you."

"You still don't have a son. So I don't care what you say. After all that fucking, it just so _happens_ that right when you let her leave she's pregnant. The odds are simply against you." He explained, getting up and walking over to the fridge, pulling out some water.

"What, do you need some proof or something?" he asked. "You can meet him if you want, the next time I go to train him."

Kai spit out the water, wiping away at his mouth. "Ha! Ok," he rolled his eyes. "Sure, we can go meet him."

"Fine. Then that's what we'll do." Akito rose. "I'm gonna go get a shower." He walked towards the halls where the bedrooms were located.

"You go ahead and do that." He called after him, downing the rest of his water.

* * *

><p>A week later Akito and Kai waited in a small clearing. Kanamé had sent Tsukai over the day before with a message, and so they had agreed to meet here. "So." Kai began, looking around. "Where's this boy of yours?"<p>

"He'll be here." Akito said, leaning against a tree.

"Sure he will." He rolled his eyes until they both tensed. Their gazes shifted to a break in the trees and a dark haired boy stepped forward.

"Told you." Akito walked forward, stopping about three feet from his son. "What did you tell your mother?"

Kanamé frowned. "Nothing. She wouldn't wake up so I just left."

"Why wouldn't she wake up? It's past noon." He said.

"Yeah…you know, it doesn't really matter why. She's my mom. You don't have to worry, she won't know I'm gone." He assured him, glancing over at the other man with them, growing suspicious.

Akito followed his gaze. "Oh, don't worry about that idiot. He's just my partner, and didn't believe you existed. We'll be using him for your training today." He said.

"Ok." He nodded and walked forward. "Well let's get started. I have to get back before nightfall."

Akito motioned for Kai to come forward. "Now, activate your Sharingan." He instructed.

Kai walked up to him, wide eyed, taking in the boy's appearance. "He looks almost just like you." He said, still amazed. "Wow you really weren't lying…" Kanamé did as he was told and shut his eyes and when he opened them, they were the dark red of the sharingan. Akito activated his as well.

"Now, how extensively have you used your Sharingan?"

"…Um only to predict stuff…I don't get to see Kakashi a lot." He said simply.

"Okay." He nodded. "Well, you won't be able to do genjutsu or anything until you have all three tomoe. But until then, I want you to show me how well Natsumi has trained you in taijutsu. So attack Kai, and don't hold back."

He looked a bit wary and Kai just smirked. "Yeah little boy, what did your mommy teach you?" he laughed and then went wide eyed when Kaname's foot slammed against the side of his head. He hit the ground with a hard thud and gasped. "What the hell?"

"Don't you talk about my mom like that!" Kanamé yelled, glaring down at him.

Akito sighed and looked down at his friend. "You're getting slow in your old age." He smirked. "Anyways, since apparently Kai isn't good enough, I want you to attack me."

Kanamé sighed and lowered down into an offensive pose. "Fine. Let's go." He said launching at his father, not needing to tell himself to hold back. He had some feelings to vent anyway.

Akito grabbed the ankle connected to the foot that was aimed for his face. Then he spun and threw Kanamé off towards a tree. He landed with his feet against it and pushed off the trunk, rolling on the ground before standing, once more in an offensive position. "Your speed is excellent." Akito said. "As is your reaction time."

"Of course it is." He glared. "I train all the time. Because I have to protect my mom. Since you weren't good enough for the job." He said darkly, bounding off the ground and attacking his father once more, unleashing a volley of fists and kicks. Akito blocked all of them, but was genuinely pleased with how quickly his son was moving at such a young age. He decided not to say anything more in the form of compliments, figuring that the boy just needed to get rid of some pent up frustration. And fighting was one of the best ways to do so.

They continued this for hours, not stopping for a break, since Akito wanted to know how much stamina Kanamé had. When there were just a few hours before dusk, they stopped, since Akito wanted Kanamé to have plenty of time to rest before going back to Suna. Kai had grown bored and fallen asleep hours ago, and was now snoring in one of the trees.

"That was good." Akito said, taking a drink of water from his canteen. "Next time we will go over stealth and the element of surprise. Has Kakashi already taught you how to do the Chidori?"

"Yeah. And my mom taught me how to counter it, should the time ever arise. It's pretty simple." He nodded, breathing harshly since they had not stopped. He was exhausted, but he didn't want his father to think him weak, since he appeared fine. He was strong and he would prove himself enough until his dad wanted him.

Wordlessly, Akito handed his son the water bottle. He could tell that the boy was tired, only by examining his body language, but was pleased that he hadn't said anything about it. "Here. Drink some water." He said.

Kanamé eyed it and then shook his head, "I'll be ok."

"Kaname, it isn't healthy to go so long and train so rough without drinking any water. Surely you know this, as I'm sure Natsumi has told you plenty of times before." He told him. "I don't want you to pass out on the way back to Suna."

"It's not like I have to walk, I know how to disappear." He took it any ways, his mother had told him it was always best to drink a lot of water, especially when you lived in Suna. He drank some of the water slowly, so he wouldn't throw it back up.

Akito took the water back when Kanamé was finished. "I probably should have asked you this sooner, but when is your birthday?"

"December first."

"Ok." He nodded, calculating everything in his head. "Is there anything in particular that you want me to teach you?" he asked.

Kanamé just shrugged, "I don't know. I don't exactly know that much about you."

"True." Akito sighed, looking up at the sky. He wasn't sure what to do exactly. He wasn't the type of person to just automatically open up about things, and he felt bad about it. "As you progress through your training I'll teach you more techniques, with both lightning and fire. For now we will just work on basic survival skills, such as stealth, infiltration, speed, and stamina."

"Alright." He nodded. "Sounds fine to me." He glanced up then, noting the angle of the sun. "I have to go now. My mom will be getting up soon and if I'm gone, well, I just need to be there for her."

"Does she still hate to be alone?" he asked softly, looking over at his son.

He shook his head. "Not really…I'm always there for her. But she doesn't like to be alone when she cries. So, I guess I'll see you in a couple days." He said, looking over to Tsukai. "Come on boy." He whistled. When the bird complied and flew over to his shoulder he turned around and headed back towards Suna.

"Bye." Akito said, watching him leave. When he could no longer see his son, he turned and began to head back towards the base, yanking Kai out of the tree as he passed. He hoped that the next few training sessions with his son went just as well, and that they would actually be able to get to know each other better, because he genuinely wanted to know him. Sighing, he sped up, with nothing but his thoughts and Kai as a companion.


	5. Digging

**Disclosure**

_Chapter Five _

-Digging-

"So…mom." Kanamé began, pushing his salad around with his fork.

Natsumi just turned the page in her book, stabbing her utensil through another bunch of lettuce and sticking it in her mouth. "What sweetie?" she asked without taking her gaze from the words.

The boy fidgeted a bit and sighed. "I was wondering…if you could tell me about my father?" he asked. It had been a little over a month since he had met his father, and he'd managed to sneak off twice a week to train with him. But it was difficult, he wasn't really one for talking, and when they did talk he was always asking questions about his mom.

The question made her stop eating and focus her gaze over on her son. "Why?"

"No reason." He focused down on his food and stuffed some in his mouth to silence himself. But after he swallowed, he stole another glance at her. "I was just wondering…since we never talk about him."

"And we never will. He was a scum bag, that's all you need to know." She said simply, closing her book and returning to her meal.

"But how do you know? You haven't seen him in fourteen years." He argued.

Natsumi slammed her hands on the table and glared at her son, something she had never done before. "Because I just do Kanamé! Now drop it. Your father is lower than dirt! It's better that you don't know about him."

But he only huffed up, "I don't understand! You obviously still care for him! You've never gone out with anyone else! What did he do?"

"He threw me away!" she screamed, standing up, her sand swarming threateningly around her. "He threw me away after he was done raping me. Are you happy now?" she threw the chair back, storming out from the room. Kanamé just sat there, wide eyed, staring at the spot his mother had been. That couldn't be right. She was lying. She had to be. He'd been with his father, and he wasn't _that_ bad…was he?

He got up and ran from the room. He needed to see his father and ask him what the truth was. He pushed out the door and ran from his house. He disappeared in a concentrated swirl of sand, he knew where his father's hideout was now, and it wouldn't take too long to get there. He didn't care anymore that he wouldn't return until late, his world felt like it was falling apart.

By the time he reached the hidden base it was nearing sunset. He walked up to the door and pounded on the metal as loud as he could. "Dad!" he yelled, trying not to cry. "Dad!"

It opened a few moments later with Akito in the doorway, wearing a pair of sweat pants and a plain black shirt. "Kanamé? What is it son?" he asked, taking in the boy's appearance.

"Please." He shivered, looking completely broken. "Tell me it's a lie."

He stepped outside and shut the door to the hideout, not wanting Kai to stick his nose in the conversation. "Tell you what is a lie?"

He shook his head. "Did…did you rape her?"

Akito stiffened at the question. So, Natsumi had told him that much it seemed. He didn't want to lie to his son, honesty, after all, was the best policy. "What I want you to understand, is that I was a different person back then. I don't know what your mother has told you, but I was raised with a bunch of sick people, the lowest of the low. Your mother…was given to me as a present, for my eighteenth birthday." He stared at a spot on the ground. "So yes, I raped her." He said. "And then I fell in love with her, so I let her go, because I knew that she wouldn't be happy with me in that place." He sighed, rubbing his forehead. "I'm not proud of what I did, and I know it was wrong, but part of me is glad. Because throughout her stay, your mother changed me. She made me see that caring about someone, having bonds, isn't weak, the way I was taught. She made me feel…like I belonged." He looked at Kanamé then. "I understand if you hate me for what I did, and if you wish for me to stay out of your life. It isn't what I want, but above all else, I want you to be happy, so if my absence will cause that, then so be it."

"No offense, but how well has your whole 'absence' thing been working out for you?" Kanamé glared, looking angrier than ever. "And if you loved her, then why didn't you stay with her? I don't understand. Nothing you do makes sense to me!"

He sighed. "Think about it. Your grandparents would have killed me on sight if I had stayed with her. They hate my father, and they would have hated me. Especially once they found out I was the one who had been keeping her all those months she was gone, and that I raped her. Natsumi would have protected me, I know, but I didn't want to put her through that. I wasn't going to force her to choose between me and her family. I knew it wouldn't have been healthy for her to stay with me, and I wasn't ready to be tied down. I had been stuck underground my entire life, so I just needed some time to go out and live it. And, before I knew it, fourteen years had passed."

Kanamé just glared at his father. "My mom was only eighteen when she had to give up her life. So you're just selfish, I need to know who you are. Who you really are, or I'm never going to be able to see you as my dad."

His brow furrowed slightly. "Okay. Well, first thing you need to know about me, if you haven't figured it out already, is that I'm not really good with feelings or words. Where I grew up, there was a pedophile that stole my father from his village, a cougar, and a couple of sex crazed freaks. Training for me was basically, by definition, torture. I was subjected to multiple genjutsu in order to strengthen my Sharingan, and I was also put in a room with other ninjas, where I had to fight them in order to live. When I turned eighteen, Orochimaru, the pedophile, gave me Natsumi as a present. That day I raped her, and then almost killed her for attacking me. I left then, and killed the squad of Suna Anbu that were sent to find her. When I returned, your mother and I fought again. Then, being the clever woman she is, she pretended for about a month to be my sex slave. She waited for me to leave, and then snuck out of the compound, removing the seal that was keeping her there. But shortly after she was outside, she ran into me."

He sat down and leaned his back against the outside of the hideout, since he knew this would take a while. Kanamé sat across from him, waiting to hear the rest. "I was on my way back from the village, with some things for her, and I was angry. I felt that she had betrayed me, and I was extremely upset. We fought once more, and she stabbed both of my swords into my shoulders and then in the ribs with a kunai. I got both of her thighs and her ribs. After her sand and my lightning collided to make glass, we stopped fighting and went back inside to tend each other's wounds. Since she killed the only medic we had in the place, it took us about a week to heal, during which time all we could do was talk. So I asked her about her home and her family. She spoke so fondly of them, and about love, and I became curious."

"I travelled to Suna and spied on her family, where I met Toshiro, and he told me about love and stuff. That was when I got the brilliant idea to make your mother fall in love with me, so I started to be nicer to her, talk to her, bring her flowers and such. But one day when I left she was attacked and molested by someone else who lived in the compound. Luckily I got there in the nick of time and stopped it. It was then that I knew I loved her, and I knew she would never be able to stay there with me, and I wasn't ready to stay with her. The next morning I took your mom to the border of Wind, and I released her." He looked at his son then.

"I'm not going to lie, the thought of caring about someone more than myself really freaked me out, so I guess you could say I ran. Not exactly the manliest thing to do, but I was scared." He sighed. "I do wish that we had known then she was pregnant though. I would have liked to have been there. For everything."

There was a long silence between the two, where they just stared at one another. "Wow." Kanamé said, looking a bit far off. Akito straightened, wanting him to continue. "You really are a horrible person, aren't you?"

"Well, you know, I try." He semi-joked, then sighed once more. "So, did you and Natsumi have an argument or something?" he asked. "You had me worried, when you just showed up all upset and stuff."

"I asked her about you." Kanamé sighed, blowing up some of his bangs. "She said you were a scum bag…which is actually an abnormal statement. And then got all silent and I did the stupid thing of trying to defend you. So she snapped, yelled at me and told me you raped her. Stormed out and disappeared. So I left."

"Hm." He nodded. "She has every right to hate me though, so I don't blame her for getting upset." He looked at Kanamé. "Whenever you need to get away or want to talk or anything, I want you to feel like you can come to me. I know I'm not really the best father, but I want to be."

"Well, technically, you're not even a good father." He pointed out truthfully, not even the hint of a smile on his face. "But I suppose you're right."

"Is there anything else you want to know about me?"

Kanamé just shrugged. "Not really…I just wished you talked more. All you ever want to do is train but this…was nice." He smiled.

Akito actually returned his smile, something Kanamé had never seen before. "You know, if you don't want to train, we don't have to. I'm not going to get upset or be disappointed in you. I was only suggesting we do that because I didn't know what else to do." He chuckled lightly.

"But you would be disappointed." The younger Uchiha smirked. "I can read people pretty well. Though, I can sense you are sad inside and I think knowing something would make you a bit less tense and adverse to me and my mother."

"What is it?" he asked curiously.

"I don't think my mom knows that I know, but on my birth certificate it says Uchiha Kanamé, not Sabaku no Kanamé."

His eyes widened. "But…doesn't everyone else call you Sabaku no Kanamé?"

"Yeah." He shrugged. "I always thought that was my last lame until I found it in her room. So I asked her and she told me it was your last name. But that I should still pretend it was Sabaku."

"Hm." Akito looked off for a moment. The news made him happy, the knowledge that his son legally had his name. "You know, despite what you think, I am not adverse to you. At all."

"Yes you are." Kanamé said simply. "The first time you came into contact with me, you only saw me as my mother's son. The next few times you were studying me, to see if I was worthy of your terrible name. And now, you don't really know what to do, because all you can think about is how you have a claim on me and what could possibly be running through my mother's pretty little head right now." He smirked.

"Well, since you seem to have it all figured out, I don't see why you even bothered to ask me." Akito crossed his arms then.

Kanamé felt a bit of pride well up inside him. "It's always nice to be assured."

Despite himself, Akito smiled, unable to really stay angry. "Of course, of course. But don't let it all go to your head, it's big enough already." He teased.

"Well, I have to fit that big brain somewhere." He laughed, actually relaxing.

"True, cause' you get most of those smarts from me."

Kanamé just leaned back and stared up at the darkening sky. "You're _so_ lucky I can't tell her you just called her dumb."

Akito laughed slightly. "She knows I think she's smart. I'm just saying that I'm smarter." He resituated himself against the building, making himself more comfortable.

"I don't know…she did track you down after you had a day ahead of her." He smirked. Unknown to his mother, after he found out about his father and their encounter, he read the report on her and his uncle's mission.

"Yeah but that's just a testament to her skill, not her smarts." He tapped his head for emphasis. "So, what about you? Any girls in your life? Someone you met at the Academy? Hm?"

He shook his head, "Not that they don't like me or anything, it's just. I don't want to deal with an emotional girl, it's too difficult, with missions and my mom and my stupid cousin." He sighed and looked off. "My mom needs as much love as she can get."

"Yeah, she does." Akito sighed. "So you don't like your cousin huh?"

"I hate her." He said, his mood seeming to drastically change.

"Why? Is she annoying? Extremely happy? Cause' when I met Toshiro he seemed like one of those people that's nice all the time to the point where it can get annoying."

Kanamé shook his head, "No. I don't really want to talk about it."

"Okay." He said, looking up at the night sky. "So, have you been on any interesting missions lately?"

"Not really." He shrugged. "A couple missions with my team, some retrieval stuff. My grandpa gives me some solo stuff every now and then, but he can see I'm getting better and he's training with me more." Then he looked up at the stars, beginning to count them. "I should probably head on home now."

"Yeah, your mom is probably worried about you." Akito said.

"Probably." He replied, getting up and stretching his limbs. "I've upset her enough for one night."

Akito rose as well. "I'll see you next time then."

"Yup." He waved and turned away. But he stopped and looked back at him. "Thanks…for listening…dad." He smiled and waved before heading off.

"You're welcome son." Akito smiled, waiting until Kanamé had disappeared before going back inside the building. And for once, he actually felt like he had a real relationship with his son.


	6. Collision

**Disclosure **

_Chapter Six_

-Collision-

"Kaname." Natsumi said sternly, standing, arms crossed, in the entrance to one of Suna's many training fields.

The young boy looked back, panting loudly from his rigorous training and went wide eyed, forcing his crimson gaze to twist back into his soft green gaze. "Mom!"

The pink haired woman stepped forward and gave her son a once over. "I know that you haven't been training with your uncle or grandfather. And that you've been leaving Suna at least three times a week for the past four months." She said harshly, giving him a threatening look.

Kanamé swallowed hard and walked towards her, "I can explain that Mom. See-"

"Can you now?" she interrupted.

"Yes." He gave her a look of his own. "I've been training."

"With who?"

"No one! It's been by myself." He almost panicked.

She just scoffed, letting her hands fall to her sides. "Liar. Anyone with eyes can see you are getting training from _someone._ Now who is it?" she demanded.

Kanamé tried to stop the fearful look that came to his face. "It's…um….well you want to meet him? I can arrange that." He fumbled a bit with his words.

"Him?" she arched a delicate brow.

"Yeah him. Do you want to meet him?"

Natsumi grew even angrier. "Of course I want to meet him! This is extremely unnerving Kaname!"

"Alright! Alright! I'll set up a meeting. I promise." He waved his hands in the air.

She didn't look too pleased, but agreed none the less. "It better not be some pedophile." She told him, before walking off.

Kanamé let out a relieved sigh and then froze. What had he just done? He'd just promised his mom a date…with his dad. He groaned and ran his hand down his face, trying to think of a way to get them to see one another.

* * *

><p>Natsumi and Kanamé sat at a square table set for three. They were both dressed in civilian clothes. Kanamé had managed to convince his mother to meet his teacher outside the village, in a nearby town. He just hoped his father, who thought he was meeting his son for a dinner together, would show.<p>

Natsumi picked up her menu and looked over the entrees. She was wearing a pair of black capris and a tight black long sleeved shirt, the sleeves going past her fingertips. Kanamé was dressed in some loose black pants and a black t-shirt, hoping that when his parents saw one another, they wouldn't try to kill the other. "When is he going to get here?" Natsumi asked, not taking her eyes off the menu, since she was trying to find what she wanted to order.

"What is she doing here?" a familiar voice asked.

Natsumi's gaze shot up and made contact with Akito's green eyes. She stood abruptly, knocking the chair over in the process. "What are you doing here." She demanded, latching onto Kaname's wrist and pulling him with her and pushing him behind her.

"No, Mom. You don't understand. Dad is my teacher." He tried to explain, but it fell on deaf ears.

"You stay away from my son." Natsumi warned, her sand already ready to attack.

Akito glared at her. "He's my son too you know."

"He is _my_ son and my son alone." She yelled. "I was the one who gave birth to him and I raised him, by _myself,_ for thirteen years. You have _no_ right."

"I have every right." He said. "Besides, if he didn't want me in his life, then he wouldn't have snuck away from _you_ to come train and spend time with _me_."

Sand slammed against him, pinning him against the nearest wall. She was before him in an instant and as her gaze narrowed the grains constricted further. "I won't allow you to do to him what you did to me. You are not allowed to see my son and I will not let you lie to him. How selfish can you get, you asshole, it wasn't enough to take away my life, now you want to take away my only happiness?"

"I let you go! What life did I take from you?" he yelled back. Then his glare left his face as he searched hers. "Do you…still love me?" he asked softly.

"I did." She seethed. "Until you came back." She twisted her hands and threw him across the room, startling the rest of the people in the restaurant. "I _waited_ for you!" she screamed, walking towards him as he got to his feet. "Patiently. I didn't see anyone and I raised my son, who looked so much like you. While you ran around doing whatever the hell you wanted. And then you had the gall to come back and call me a whore? Threaten my son? I was stupid to think that you really were anything different than the piece of shit you really are."

He looked at her, keeping his sharingan deactivated for the time being. "I know that what I said was wrong, but I want you to know that I still feel the same." He told her. "There's never been anyone else. You're all I want Natsumi. You and our son. I want to be a family. A real one, like yours."

"Well that's too damn bad. It's too late for that now. Fourteen years too late." She glared, lowering down into a threatening stance. Kanamé went wide eyed and ran towards them.

"Mom please!"

"Be quiet Kaname." She ordered, making him scowl. "I'm going to do what I should have done years ago." She shot forward, her hand glowing a dangerous green.

Kanamé gasped and moved as quickly as he could. "Dad!" he yelled, getting between them. Natsumi's angry glare dissipated and she barely managed to stop before hitting her son. She looked from him, and then back up to Akito.

She grimaced. "You just had to take everything away from me didn't you? It's never enough."

"Oh shut up Natsumi, it's getting old." Akito said. "You didn't even try to reach me when Kanamé was born, so you have no room to talk. You took almost fourteen years away from me that I could have spent with my son. And don't spout some bullshit about not knowing where to find me or how to reach me. We both know that if you wanted to badly enough you could have."

"What was I suppose to do Akito? Track you down? I wasn't exactly mobile, and people want to kill me, I couldn't risk leaving with Kanamé still so fragile inside me. And I couldn't leave my infant son, and you left the compound! I found it! Because I wanted to tell you! I went back to that horrible place because I wanted to know if you were ready yet. And you weren't there. Kanamé was only four then, I couldn't take weeks off to track you down! You knew where I was the whole time. So don't preach to me how this is my fault. I _told_ you that I loved you. And you didn't say it back, but I thought you'd come back for me and you never did!" she fumed.

"Yeah well when I did I saw you all happy and with a kid. You looked like you had moved on and were happy enough without me. And now when I'm standing before you saying that I am ready, you obviously don't want me in your life." He said. "But I'm going to continue to see Kaname, whether you like it or not. He needs to know how to use his Sharingan, and there are things I can teach him that others can't that will help him survive. And on top of that, I want to see him."

Natsumi pushed Kanamé aside and slapped Akito right across the face. "That's not what I want to hear, and since you still are clearly not ready, you deserve no part in my son's life." She snapped, taking Kanamé by the wrist and dragging him with her towards the exit.

Akito followed after them, using his speed to get in front of her, halting her exit. "You stubborn woman. You know I was always better with actions instead of words."

"I don't care." She glared up at him, trying to step around him, only to have him move in front of her once more. "I accepted your actions for months…and your final one for years. But that's not enough anymore. So step aside and let me go home with my son."

"Natsumi, I want to be with you. I want you to be the first thing I see in the morning and the last thing I see at night. I'll quit the Akatsuki. Heck, I will even go through the motions of becoming a legitimate ninja of this village, just so that I can be with you. Even if I have to quit, I'll do it for you." He said, giving her a pleading look. "I would do anything for you to forgive me and let me be part of yours and Kaname's lives. Permanently."

She studied his face, searching it for deception but then sighed. "No."

Kanamé blinked and looked up at his mother's wounded face. "Huh?"

Akito's face actually mirrored that of their son's. "Why not?" he asked, genuinely confused.

"Because you still can't say it." She frowned. "And until you do, you will have no part in my life. Or my son's. Now please move." She said, sounding more than broken. "I want to go home."

He sighed and rubbed the back of his neck, something he always did when he was embarrassed. He mumbled something, and Natsumi raised a brow. "I'm sorry, what?" she asked.

Akito glared slightly, but it wasn't directed at her. "I love you. More than anything." He finally said, lowering his arm.

She smirked and crossed her arms. "Say it again. Just one more time."

He held in a sigh, stepping towards her. "I love you." He murmured, reaching up and stroking her cheek with the back of his hand.

She actually smiled and placed her hand over his, keeping it in place. "Ok just once more, I promise."

Kanamé smiled and tried not to laugh aloud. Akito's eyes narrowed slightly, but he couldn't help the small smile that came to his face. "I love you Natsumi."

She sighed contently and nodded. "Oh how I've waited to hear those words."

"Uh huh." He pulled her to him and kissed her passionately, placing his other hand on her hip. "Oh how I've waited to feel your lips." He smirked against her mouth, kissing her once more.

She laughed, feeling something deep inside her that she hadn't felt in over a decade. "I'm sure you were well comforted in my absence." She whispered, kissing him back. Kanamé made a face of disgust and stuck his tongue out.

"Gross. Stop making out."

Akito kissed Natsumi once more and then looked over at his son, keeping her in his arms. "Oh I'm sorry Kaname, did you want to join in this little love fest?" he teased, smiling. "I'll let you hug me."

He looked around and noticed that all eyes were on them. "I'll pass this time. Maybe when it's not so public." He shivered and headed out of the restaurant.

Keeping his arm around Natsumi's waist, Akito led her out of the restaurant behind their son. For the first time in a long time he felt completely happy, and he really liked it. "So, does this mean I can come stay with you guys?" he asked, looking down at her. "Or would you rather I stay at my hideout and just visit every so often? I don't want to throw you off you routine or anything."

"I am not staying _anywhere_ besides my home. So it's your decision." Natsumi said sternly, crossing her arms to show she was not changing her mind. Kanamé seemed to brighten up.

"You could stay with us and live in our house, it's big enough!"

"Awesome. I'll be over later tonight, when it's easiest to sneak over the wall." He said.

Natsumi stopped and looked down at Kaname, "Sweetheart. Can you…give us a minute…I just want to…uh, talk to your dad alone." The younger Uchiha gave her a wary look, but nodded and walked off, exploring the other parts of the town. Natsumi grabbed Akito by the wrist and dragged him with her until they were in a more secluded area. "Are you sure that you are ready to do this?" she asked, turning to face him fully.

"No. I don't think I'll ever be sure." He admitted. "But, if I don't try, then I'm just a coward. I know that I want to do this. I want us to be like a real family, more than anything. I'm tired of not seeing you, and I'm tired of only getting to see Kanamé a few times a week." He gave her a serious look. "I may not be good at it at first, but I…I want to be a better man than my father. And I think it's about time I stopped being selfish, as you and Kanamé have both been happy to tell me that I am." He smiled slightly.

"Well you are." She said pointedly, smirking. But then it fell. "If you are really going to be with me….and my…our…son, you have to change. That means no running off and out of the village when things get tough. No being dark, or mean. You have to care. You can't kill people you don't like. And no more of this Akatsuki thing. Do you understand?"

"All at the same time?" he semi-whined. She nodded, making him sigh. "I promise I will quit the Akatsuki, I won't kill people I don't like, and I won't run off when things get tough. I do care, but I will make an attempt to be nicer."

"And you will make sure you tell your son that you love him. He thinks you don't. I know it's hard for you to say, but you _will_ do it. And you will meet my parents." She said, very seriously.

At this he grimaced. "The thought of meeting them doesn't sound very appealing, but I guess so."

"Well it's not like you can just hide out in my house for the rest of your life." Natsumi rolled her eyes.

"I know that." He said. He reached out and stroked her cheek. "Natsumi, I just want you to know, that I haven't been with a woman since you, despite what you may believe. My partner even thought that I was gay."

She smirked. "Good." She leaned closer to him then, her nose just barely touching his. "Cause I was the best you'll ever have." She pulled away then and passed him, walking off to find Kanamé. He sighed and followed her, his mind clouded with thought about how his life was about to drastically change.


	7. Departure

**Disclosure**

_Chapter Seven_

-Departure-

Akito went through a mental checklist of everything he owned, making sure that he had all of his belongings. He had come back to the base immediately and packed all of his clothes and weapons, along with his toiletries and the few sentimental things he owned. It all fit in two bags.

He took off his Akatsuki cloak and sat it on his bed before pulling on both of his packs. Taking one last sweep of his room, he nodded in satisfaction before leaving, walking into the living room. He went into the kitchen and set one of his bags on the table, grabbing his canteen and filling it.

"Where are you going?" Kaiyou asked, walking into the kitchen and draining another water bottle.

"I'm leaving." He said simply.

Kaiyou lowered his water bottle and eyed him suspiciously. "Huh?"

"I am quitting the Akatsuki for good." He explained, turning off the faucet and screwing the cap onto his water bottle.

"But why?" he frowned, "We get to do whatever we want. Being a rogue is not all it's cracked up to be."

Akito walked over to his bag and put the water bottle inside it. "I'm not going to be a rogue. I'm going to live in Suna with Natsumi and Kanamé."

"Are you out of your mind? Do you really think that's going to be possible? The Kazekage _will_ kill you, without hesitation. If you don't remember, you kidnapped and raped his daughter."

"Technically, I wasn't the one who kidnapped her." He said, closing his pack and putting it on. "Besides, I can hold my own. And Natsumi's not gonna just let them kill me. Not after she's waited so long for me to come back." He began to head for the front door then.

Kaiyou glared after him and followed him to the door. "What the hell are you thinking Akito? Why do you deserve a normal life? You can't be the man that that little priss wants. You just can't, you're bad and turning good is just a myth. You won't be able to stand that life."

Akito halted in front of the door and looked back at the other man, his eyes glaring sharingan red. "I deserve a normal life as much as the next person. Besides, if living in a ninja village and taking orders from somebody else is what I have to do to be with my family, then so be it." He grabbed the handle and opened the door. "So I guess you'll just have to go find a new partner." He left then, shutting the door a bit forcefully behind him.

Kaiyou just glared after him, walking into his room and grabbing his oversized sword, heading for the back exit. "I'll show you Akito, you won't _ever_ be able to have a normal life."

* * *

><p>Akito snuck over the wall and made his way to Natsumi's house. Not wanting to possibly draw attention to himself, he teleported inside, appearing in the living room. Seeing that it was empty, he set his stuff down and looked around the house, deactivating his sharingan. It was pretty late, so he figured that Kanamé must be going to bed. He stretched his senses, and, finding Natsumi and Kanamé's chakra signatures, he went upstairs to the room he figured was his son's.<p>

The door was slightly ajar, and through the crack he could see Kanamé sitting up in bed, with Natsumi seated on the edge, talking to him. He walked up to the door and pushed it open, getting both of their attention. "Hey." He greeted.

They both looked over, seeing Akito. "I was just telling Kanamé about what we were going to have to do tomorrow." She sighed, patting her son's leg.

"What are we doing tomorrow?" he asked, walking into the room and stopping next to the bed.

"Talking to my parents. Remember? We discussed this earlier."

Kanamé sighed and looked up at his mom. "Is grandpa going to kill dad?"

"I didn't know we were going to do that tomorrow." Akito shrugged, and then looked at his son. "And no, I'm not going to die. I promise."

"We _hope_ he isn't going to die." Natsumi corrected him, kissing her son on the forehead. "Which is why you will play such an important part tomorrow sweetie. Now get some rest, it's going to be a long day." She got up then and headed for the door, "Night Kanamé." She waved, leaving the two alone.

Akito just looked around the room at his son's stuff, not really sure what he was supposed to do. "Nice room." He remarked, looking back at Kanamé.

Kanamé just arched a curious brow and looked to the door. "You can leave if you want. I was just going to go to bed."

"Alright. Guess I'll see you in the morning." Akito said, walking to the door. He hesitated, and then looked at Kanamé over his shoulder. "I love you son." He said softly.

Kanamé looked over to him, actually looking surprised. "I…I love you too Dad. Night." He smiled and settled into bed as Akito shut the door. He smiled to himself before heading down the hall to Natsumi's room. He walked in and sat on the edge of the large bed, staring at the wall.

"I didn't think Kanamé loved me too." He said, sounding like he was in awe of the fact.

"Of course he does. You're his dad." She sighed, pulling back her covers and getting beneath the silky sheets.

He looked at her over his shoulder. "But I hate my father, and he was there for my whole life, so I was surprised." He stood and slipped off his shoes, then pulled his shirt and pants off before getting into bed next to her.

"Yeah well, unlike you, I love Kanamé every day of his life. And because his grandpa loves him and his uncle, he had some trivial hope that you were a good man." She sighed, stretching and sliding her arm beneath her pillow to grip it more comfortably.

"I want to be a good man." He said softly, turning on his side to face her. He brushed some of her hair from her face. "I'm sorry that I caused you so much pain. Kanamé had said that you weren't sleeping well, and that you cry sometimes."

"If you were really sorry you would have come to see me sooner." She sighed, closing her eyes. "Just because I let you back here, doesn't mean I forgive you just yet."

"I know." He said, shutting his eyes. "Feel free to punish me whenever you want." He smirked. "I won't stop you."

Natsumi scoffed. "My form of punishment is not going to be enjoyable to you. This is my house now, and you will be forced to play by _my_ rules." She smirked, opening one eye to peek at him.

He did the same. "I knew you liked to be the dominant one."

"Yeah, but it's not going to be sexual. Until I see fit, you're going to become the cute little house husband. I'm going to buy you an apron and everything." She snickered, snuggling into the sheets, closing her eyes once more.

His brow creased slightly at her words. She said house husband. Did that mean that she wanted to marry him? If he asked her, would she say yes? He had bought her a ring years ago, and kept it with him at all times, but after how things had been going lately, he didn't think she would want to be tied to him in that way. Especially since she hadn't said that she loved him in return when he'd said it the day before. Three times.

"Okay." He said softly, closing his eyes.

She reached her hand over and felt for his, clasping his hand comfortingly. "Akito…" she breathed out. "I never stopped loving you." She admitted, a smile gracing her beautiful features.

His eyes opened, and he examined her face. He looked at their joined hands, and turned his so that their fingers were laced together. "I will love you until the day I die, and even longer than that, if such a thing as Heaven or Hell exist."

Natsumi just sighed contently, tightening her grip on his hand until she fell asleep. He smiled slightly, closing his eyes and joining her in sleep shortly after.


End file.
